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Columbus Day Parade Coming Back to Life Here

The Revere Chamber of Commerce is looking to bring back a storied tradition to Broadway and to strengthen the city’s ties to its neighbor, East Boston, in one fell swoop.

Chamber member Bob Upton told the Journal this week that they are in the midst of planning to bring back the Columbus Day Parade to Broadway in 2013 – partnering with Eastie parade officials on years when they don’t host their parade in Eastie.

“We are definitely bringing forward the idea and we are definitely doing this,” said Upton. “We have the full support of Mayor Dan Rizzo. Maybe it will be an annual event, but right now we’re targeting 2013 with the hope of combining our efforts with East Boston.”

Currently, the Columbus Day Parade alternates between Eastie and the North End. Eastie hosts the parade this October, but the North End hosts it in 2013. The new partnership between Revere and Eastie would bring the Columbus Day Parade to Revere on years when the North End is hosting its event.

Up until 2009, Revere hosted an annual parade that travelled from lower Broadway all the way to St. Anthony’s Church. Former Mayor Tom Ambrosino discontinued the parade in 2009 due to a lack of funding and what was believed to be a lack of interest.

Apparently no one knew what they had until it was gone.

Upton said he and several others were having a conversation about the parade late last summer, about how much they missed seeing it on Broadway. From that conversation, a full effort was born.

He said that Revere Veterans Agent Nick Bua and East Boston credit union official Paul Travaglini (brother of former Sen. Robert Travaglini) are chairing a committee that has been meeting regularly to discuss the size and scope of the 2013 parade. Also working on the effort are George Anzuoni, the Revere Veterans Committee and Laura D’Amico.

“It’s almost like Broadway was abandoned when the parade left it and ceased to be a part of the city,” said Upton. “The Chamber of Commerce in Revere wants to bring this back and we want to work with local non-profits to get them in the parade so they can have some exposure, and we are looking for input and ideas. We think it will help us come together as a community in many different ways. It’s also something the whole community can rally around.”

Upton said the revamped parade could also lend toward the overall effort to revitalize Broadway.

“Maybe this can be just another part of that,” he said. “What better than to have a signature event? I’m excited about this and so is the entire committee.”

Italod

I’d also like to see more similar public events in Revere that celebrate and connect with the city’s historic Italian ethnic past. The more ethnically diverse Revere of today is interesting and healthy, but I miss what became the “subtraction” of Revere’s recognized Italian ethnic past and presence. Something that would celebrate, recall and perhaps bring together that once-thriving Revere ethnic demographic here again, in addition to and complementing our more diverse residency of today, I think would be fortifying and welcome.